Medicare Supplement

Before You Switch Medigap in Columbus, Check These Filings

COLUMBUS, Ga. — If you have a Medigap policy in Muscogee County, or you are shopping for one as you approach 65, a few moving pieces are worth tracking as 2027 approaches. Medigap itself is a standardized federal product, so the plan letters do not change on a whim. But the rules about which letters you can buy, the yearly reset of the Part B deductible that sits underneath Plans G and N, and the rate filings insurers submit to the state every year all affect what you actually pay and choose here in Columbus.

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Here is a plain-English guide to what is shifting, what is staying the same, and where to look for numbers before you commit.

The plan letters you can actually buy in 2027

Medigap plans are standardized by letter, which means a Plan G from one company covers the same federally defined benefits as a Plan G from another. What changes between insurers is the price, the customer service, and sometimes extras like discounts for household members.

If you are newly eligible for Medicare today, these are the letters open to you: A, B, D, G, G-HD (high-deductible G), K, L, M and N. Plans C and F are only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That rule has not changed for 2027, and it is the single biggest source of confusion when a friend or family member says "just get an F like I did."

Georgia also has its own guaranteed-issue and open-enrollment protections layered on top of the federal ones. Your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the month your Part B begins at age 65 or older, is still the window when insurers cannot use your health history against you.

The Part B deductible reset — why Plans G and N feel it

Plans G and N are the two most commonly purchased letters for people new to Medicare, and both are built around the Part B deductible. With Plan G, you pay that deductible each calendar year, and then the plan picks up the Part B coinsurance from there. With Plan N, the deductible works the same way, with small copays for some office and emergency room visits on top.

Every January 1, the Part B deductible resets. That is not a change unique to 2027 — it happens every year — but it is the reason your first doctor visit or outpatient procedure in January can feel more expensive than the same visit in November did. The 2027 Part B deductible amount will be announced by CMS, typically in the fall. You can confirm the current figure at medicare.gov before you plan a January procedure.

Rate-adjustment season: how to check before you renew

Medigap premiums are not frozen. Insurers can and do raise them, and rate filings happen on their own schedule throughout the year. In Georgia, those filings go to the Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which reviews them before they take effect.

If you already have a Medigap plan and get a renewal notice with a higher premium, you have options:

• Compare that renewal against current quotes from other Georgia-licensed insurers for the same plan letter. Because benefits are standardized, a Plan G is a Plan G.
• Remember that switching outside your Open Enrollment Period usually means answering health questions. If you have chronic conditions, staying put may be the right call even at a higher price.
• Ask about "household" or "spousal" discounts some insurers offer — availability varies by company.

You can pull publicly available rate information through the Georgia insurance department and cross-check plan availability with Medicare.gov's Medigap policy search tool by entering a Columbus ZIP code.

Who sells Medigap in Georgia

Georgia has a long list of insurers licensed to sell Medigap, and the full lineup is in the table below, with the exact plan letters each one offers. A few names Columbus shoppers will recognize include AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield - Georgia, Humana (Emphesys Insurance Company), Mutual of Omaha (Omaha Supplemental Insurance Company) and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. Others, like Atlantic Capital Life Assurance Company, Lumos Insurance and WoodmenLife, are smaller but sell in the state as well.

Two things to keep in mind when you scan the table:

• Not every insurer sells every plan letter. If you specifically want a high-deductible G, for example, only some carriers offer it.
• An insurer being licensed in Georgia does not guarantee it is actively enrolling in Muscogee County at any given moment. Confirm through Medicare.gov or by calling the carrier before you apply.

How Medigap fits with Part D and the 2026 drug changes

Medigap does not cover prescriptions for anyone new to Medicare, so most Columbus residents pair a Medigap policy with a standalone Part D drug plan. A few 2026 Part D facts worth knowing as you plan for 2027:

• Part D now has a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone; there are now three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments instead of paying a large amount at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Watch for CMS to announce 2027 Part D figures in the fall of 2026.

Dates to keep on the calendar

• Medicare Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7. This is for Part D and Medicare Advantage — not Medigap — but it is when many people revisit their whole setup.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31.
• Your personal Medigap Open Enrollment Period: the six months starting the month your Part B begins at 65 or later. This is the most protective window you will ever have for buying Medigap.